Why would anyone want to be a Pagan, Wicca or Shaman?

Question

A very serious question for those who seriously question atheists and the religious.

Peace and Love

Answer 1

The simple answer is that it rings true to me. I was raised in a conservative Christian home and never felt like it fit very well. When I discovered Paganism I suddenly felt like I was home. I can remember thinking, “This is what I’ve always believed in my core being”

There are many things that individuals find appealing in the Pagan religions. A few are:

1. Deity is primarily viewed as female (Goddess). Many people have grown up in abusive homes or were sexually abused be men. They find a Goddess figure much more approachable then a God.

2. Paganism encourages one to be responsible for ones own actions and not pass the buck. We are accountable to ourselves. There is no savior that will fix us if we say the right words.

3. Paganism encourages us to be apart of our environment. We are to learn from nature and to be nurtured by it. And, at the same time, we are to nurture and look after nature. We are in partnership with nature and the gods. Christianity encourages one to be estranged from nature.

4. Many of us don’t resonate with a religion of legality. We reject a system of dos and don’ts where god punishes us or rewards us if we follow a legal code and have the right theology. Instead we resonate with a religion that encourages us to have a personal relationship with the divine.

5. We’d rather think for ourselves and not have a priest, pastor, clergy person or book tell us what to do or believe.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. But I hope this helps to answer your question.

BB

Pablito

Answer 2

1. Its a very open path, that leads to self discovery and inteliigent thought about religion.
2.Threre is little medium between yourself and the divine. There is no need for papal interpretation of sacred texts, because there are none really. Instead its about what you observe in nature.
3. The Divine is more balanced with masculine and feminine parts.
4. There is little to no sexual guilt.
5. Magickal practices are encouraged.
6. There is no (in most traditions) a devil or absolute evil persona or diety, nor is there an absolute good persona or diety.


These are some reasons I sought Pagan faiths.

Answer 3

I find that the greatest sin (if you believe in sin) is the betrayal of the self. I used to be Christian, but after living for 15 years I began to question what I really believed, and at 20 I came to the conclusion that I was not truly Christian any more. So for me to say I was Christian just because I was expected to be Christian was perplexing at best, but to say that there is nothing after this life is equally beyond my scope of understanding. If this is it, then what happens to your consciousness? The fact is there are too many unknowns, and the only ones who truly know what happens after death are the dead, and well they are not talking. So this knocked atheism out of the park for me; I mean they seem to be way too analytical for me. So I chose Paganism, and I am not ashamed of it maybe a bit sad that so many think I worship a 'Devil' that I do not believe ever existed to begin with. That is my only regret or concern I should say about my religious choice.

Peace Out.
and
Blessed Be

24 y.o. Pagan College Student

Answer 4

I'm 40 years old and I grew up with polytheistic beliefs. I still believe in them. It is the only thing that makes sense to me and I can't imagine any other way that would feel right to me. I was also taught growing up that there is no one and only one "true" way for everyone and that I needed to respect the beliefs of others. I also still believe this.

To answer your question of why I want to be a pagan: It works for me. It gives me a way to understand my deities and the world around me. It is deeply fulfilling. It is a part of me and I'm not sure that I can put it into words properly. It's just who and what I am.

Answer 5

They are not such passive religions, it's not all about subservience like the middle-eastern trdtions of Christianity, Islam & Judaism...all from that part of the world, and they belong only there really.
Pagans Wiccans & Shaman's have real power and impact and that makes it more suitable for people who want to take responsibility for their own decisions and actions and don't like to be so docile and obedient as those previously mentioned.

Answer 6

The same reason anyone would want to be a part of any other religion. Some part of most people wants to believe in something greater than themselves. So- they gravitate to the religion that answers their questions best for them. I follow the religion I do because it feels like truth, to me.

Answer 7

i'm a wiccan in training and for all of you out there that think people do this because they want attention and are power hungry-you are completely wrong! I don't want to be a wiccan so I can do spells and have power-that's not the greater thing.The bigger picture is helping people.Before you start to criticize something you don't understand why don't you study up on it before you put people down!Everyone chooses their own path.Just because it's not your path doesn't mean it's the wrong path.

Answer 8

Because it is who we are. There is no question of another path. Of course, I don't ask others why they would want to be atheist or Christian or whatever. Sometimes I feel sorry for them that their soul is not free and that they are not self-empowered (Christians) but I keep it to myself. I used to feel sad that atheists didn't have anything to believe in and thought life must be so drab for them; 'till I started dating one, now I know they believe in all sorts of things, just not God and that's not so serious.

Answer 9

Because it's a belief system that makes sense *to me* and helps me feel more at peace with myself and my place in the world.

It allows me to get closer to and more in tune with nature, provides a way to develop a personal connection to the Divine that surrounds us, and encourages me to think about my actions and the way that they impact the world around me, from something as mundane as "What energy company should I use to get my electricity?" to something more esoteric such as "What sort of prayer or spellwork can I and should I do in a given situation, and what are the ramifications not only to me, but to others?"

Answer 10

Why not? There's no dogma, few rules, and a healthy dose of respect for that which is natural including fellow humans. That's why these are viable alternatives to belief systems loaded down with rules and regulations that are archaic and outdated. PEACE! FYI there's another of these that you should have listed with your grouping because we're accepting of all of these folks...The Uncommon Denomination...WWW.UUA.ORG, PEACE!